The present invention relates to a system and method for covertly providing a large number of missiles with updated guidance data during their flight, which system and method are particularly useful in targeting the missiles at mobile targets.
A new generation of missiles (and missile applications) is under development by the assignee of the present invention that are designed such that a salvo of many missiles is launched at many targets in a battlefield area. More specifically, a new missile variant known as a Tomahawk Stops The Attacking Regiments (TSTAR) missile is under development to counter the movement of armored columns and other mobile targets into a battlefield area.
The TSTAR missile contains multiple heat-seeking submunitions that are deployed in proximity of the targets. However, during a TSTAR mission, an armored column can move approximately 3 kilometers in five minutes, and can move over 44 kilometers while the TSTAR missiles are en route. Because the targets have the ability to constantly change their location and direction during the flight of the missiles, when the missiles arrive at the projected target area, the mobile targets may have moved so that the heat-seeking submunitions are not able to acquire their targets.
Furthermore, it is highly desirable that the salvo of missiles be relatively undetectable while in flight to the target area. This requires that guidance signals sent to the respective missiles must not be readily detected. The present invention has been developed to address these two basic problems.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide for a system and method that covertly provides more accurate, updated guidance data to a large number of missiles during their flight to allow them to be more accurately guided to their target locations. It is an objective of the present invention to provide for a system and method that covertly guides a large number of missiles, with each individual missile receiving only information that is necessary for it.